MOTORCYCLIST SURVIVES CRASH AFTER 32-MILE CHASE BY POLICE

A motorcyclist escaped major injuries Monday night when he crashed after a 32-mile chase by deputy sheriffs and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper with speeds up to 100 mph.

Racing between cars, through red lights and at times swerving off the highway, the cyclist crashed into a ditch after colliding with a cruiser driven by an off-duty deputy three miles from the Brevard County line. The chase lasted just over 15 minutes.

Ronald Johnson, 21, of Spring Valley, Ill., was treated at Humana Hospital Kissimmee for a broken ankle and minor lacerations. Deputies said they were amazed that there were no other injuries, given the speed of the crash. The cycle was severely damaged.

Johnson was charged with fleeing and attempting to elude police, reckless driving, and driving without a valid driver's license. He was released from the Osceola County Jail after posting a $1,500 bond early Tuesday.

None of those giving chase could keep up with the cyclist's 1000 cc Yamaha. Brevard County deputies were waiting for the speedster at the Brevard line but were not needed.

The sheriff's report gave this account: A trooper attempted to stop the speeding cyclist at 9:15 p.m. near Florida's Turnpike Exit 65 on U.S. Highway 192-441 west of St. Cloud.

Ignoring the blue lights and siren, the cyclist sped east on Highway 192. The trooper called the sheriff's department and the St. Cloud Police Department for assistance.

Two deputies gave chase at the intersection of 13th Street (Highway 192) and New York Avenue; a mechanical problem forced the trooper to slow his chase.

The cyclist ran two red lights in St. Cloud, several times swerving off the highway to maneuver around slower vehicles. The two patrol cars followed the cyclist out of St. Cloud, who continued east on Highway 192 toward Holopaw.

The sheriff's department contacted Ronnie Arnold, an off-duty deputy who lives in the Deer Park area.Arnold said he saw the motorcycle with the two deputy cars about a mile behind as he drove onto the two-lane highway.

Traveling at 60 mph in the same direction just ahead of the chase, Arnold turned on his flashing lights and siren.

"He came bearing down on me like crazy," Arnold said.

But instead of slowing, the cycle attempted to pass Arnold, instead striking the cruiser's left rear bumper, which sent the motorcycle veering off the road and into a ditch. The patrol car was slightly dented.

Arnold said he rushed to where the cyclist had crashed, certain the man had been killed. "When I took off his helmet, he just looked up at me and said, 'I think I've been in a wreck,' " Arnold said. "Then he got up and slowly walked over to the patrol car."